Optical drives are still practical for many users, whether to play old CDs and DVDs, install software, or create backups—especially with modern laptops, which are usually supplied without a drive.

In these modern times, CDs have become somewhat ancient technology. Because of the decline in CD popularity, laptops do not even come with CD drives. On the rare occasion that you need a CD drive, you ...

Optical drives no longer come pre-installed in most PCs and laptops, yet they’re still indispensable for many users. Whether for playing old DVDs, installing ancient software from CDs, or burning data ...

Q. Can you recommend a reliable, moderately priced external CD drive to install programs of the Epson Perfection V550 color scanner I'm thinking of buying? Apple's Aluminum Super drive is beautifully ...

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. The Plextor PlexEasy PX-650US is an ...

Optical drives let your computer read and interact with discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. While nearly every computer had them a few years ago, they're rare to see on new computers now. If you need ...

Hard drives and optical drives are the most failure-prone items on a laptop. They're also among the easiest to swap out, upgrade, or, in some cases, live without. Here are the best fixes for saving, ...

Very few laptops ever included Blu-ray drives. The HP ZBook 17 G5 is one of the rare options if you need Blu-ray capability. They can run basic applications and older software, but don't expect them ...

Mac desktop and MacBook owners are used to living without a CD or DVD drive, but there are occasions where access to one could be handy. AppleInsider explains how to remotely access the CD or DVD ...